The intials DWI usually mean Driving While Intoxicated. To be intoxicated means to have drunk too much alcohol. As in most places, it is illegal in the U.S. to drive when you have drunk a large quantity of beer, wine, or other liquor. (This is also now called DUI = Driving Under the Influence. To be under the influence means the same as being intoxicated or having taken too much of another drug.)

Now there’s a new DWI: Driving While Intelligent. A recent study by an insurance company in the U.S. found that 18% of drivers would fail the written exam that you need to take to get your license if they were to take it again. You only have to take a driver’s examination once in most states – when you get your first license. But many people forget what the correct rules are for driving, and would probably not pass the exam later on. So I think we need to encourage this new DWI, especially here in Los Angeles, where there are so many crazy drivers!

~Jeff

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on Friday, December 28th, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under Life in the United States.
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3 Responses to “DWI: Driving While Intelligent?”

I’m thankful to Jeff and Rucy for providing these good resources to study English esier than any others so that I’m improving a lot in English. In this podcast I like the part that you explain the paragrphs which after Rucy reads. That is actually essential for poor in English like me . I’m listening your podcast from Korea..

18 % only?. That’s not true, I belive there are much more people that should fail the written exam if they have to do it to get their licenceses.
At least this is my opinion but it is also possible that I am a pessimist and that insurance company has better information that I have.

By the way……..Do you know what is the difference between a pessimist and an optimist?………….the pessimist is an optimist with good information.
This is not my case now, of course, as I haven’t any information about the matter we are talking about, it is only intuition.
For the new year I hope that you haven’t to do the exam again Jeff, as I am sure you are a good driver.
Best wishes all of you as always.

This podcast made me remember of my written test which I passed of course easily, but the driving test I remember being way too nervous that I saw a squirrel on my way and I didn’t stop nor slow down and I amost run over it. The lady just write with big lettes: Watch for hazardous while driving or something like that! But other than that I’m glad it wasn’t a person because I would’ve run over anyone with my nervousness, because at a moment while driving I was going to stop and I step on the accelerator. That made me think they mustn’t do these kind od test on the streets to people who just learned to drive or still in the process of learning and want to have a kick to see if they can get the license.